The 29th annual Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival (Inside Out), championing innovative LGBTQ filmmakers from across the globe, revealed its short film lineup. This year’s festival will take place May 23 to June 2, 2019.
The 2019 short film selections are as follows:
SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA: LOCAL HEROES
SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA: LOCAL HEROES – Our annual collection of what this great city has to offer, this year’s Local Heroes brings us a wide assortment of queer treats that include ballroom, bicycling, textile vaginas, and a carrot.
SOFT SPOT, directed by Justine Stevens. (Canada). Kris, struggling with the surprise death of an ex-lover, sidesteps her girlfriend’s post-gin and tonic advances.
WAR MOVIE, directed by Matt Landry. (Canada). An argument over a film they just watched spirals into real life drama between two best friends.
TERMINALLY IN LOVE, directed by Emily Jenkins. (Canada). Terminally in Love takes a first-person journey into the mind of a neurotic stoner.
DO YOU EVEN CARROT ALL?, directed by Daniel Sterlin-Altman. (Canada). Everybody wants to reach Carrot, but he doesn’t seem to carrot all.
HAUS, directed by Joseph Amenta. (Canada). A displaced black queer boy finds refuge in his city’s underground Kiki Ballroom scene.
LORETTA’S FLOWERS, directed by Brendan Prost. (Canada). On a long summer’s day in Toronto, a young woman cycles between increasingly intimate encounters but remains trapped in a pattern of insatiable longing.
QUEEN, directed by Sabina Lambert. (Canada). Working at a drag bar, Alex is immersed and inspired by the wondrous self-expression of the drag queens as they perform on the neon-lit stage.
MY FUZZY VALENTINE, directed by Ben Edelberg. (Canada). A pulsating world of bug-eyed lesbian sasquatches and vaginal caves is created from reclaimed textiles courtesy of legendaryAllyson Mitchell.
SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA: STORIES WE TELL
SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA: STORIES WE TELL – #Canqueer excellence from coast to coast, this program puts our homegrown talent in the spotlight.
THE TRAGIC FALL OF VALERIE MALLORY FINKERSTEIN, directed by Martina Monro. (Canada). On the day of her best friend’s surprise birthday party, Valerie must publicly confess her love or lose her love forever.
STAGE NAME: VICTORIA, directed by Taran Morriseau. (Canada). Stage Name: Victoria takes an intimate look at a drag queen who is starting his career in the community of Fort William First Nation.
LOST CAT, directed by Laura Bergeron. (Canada). At a turning point in her life, Nathalie tries to overcome her failure and come to peace with her inability to connect with herself and others.
DOCKING, directed by Trevor Anderson. (Canada). Trevor reflects on his fear of dating.
BIIDAABAN (THE DAWN COMES), directed by Amanda Strong. (Canada). Accompanied by a 10,000-year-old shapeshifter and friend known as Sabe, Biidaaban sets out on a mission to reclaim the ceremonial harvesting of sap from maple trees.
SKIES ARE NOT JUST BLUE, directed by Lysandre Cosse-Tremblay. (Canada). Identifying as queer and Muslim is a reality for Yara, A. and brothers Monib and Tariq.
IFTIIN, directed by Ladan Mohamed Siad. (Canada). A genderqueer Somali-Canadian teenager spends the day taking their grandmother to her appointments, forcing the two to confront their assumptions of one another.
BOLD – BOLD
BOLD – BOLD celebrates voices outside the mainstream. This program offers a fresh perspective, exploring the complexities of the black experience in all its diversity, humor, pain and triumph.
MARIELLE AND MONICA, directed by Fabio Erdos. (Brazil). Marielle Franco, a Brazilian LGBT and human rights activist, was killed in March 2018. Her widow, Monica Benicio, continues her fight for better treatment of the poor, the LGBT community and black Brazilians.
BATTY BOY, directed by Blain Ho-shing, Dior Clarke. (UK). Dolcie Woods, a young black boy raised in a deprived area of North London, faces the struggles of fitting into a community ingrained with strong cultural and homophobic beliefs.
FABULOUS, directed by Audrey Jean-Baptiste. (France). Ninja is famous around the world for her fierce ballroom performances, but she is not as well-known in her native country of French Guyana. But a trip home to teach a workshop might change that.
OTHER BLACK BOYS, directed by Nyles Washington (USA). A queer black college student is forced to confront the masks he wears when an old friend comes to visit.
COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY
COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY – This program features everything from a man who finds himself attached to an older married couple, an intergenerational infatuation, and an intersex sex worker navigating the city.
ZERO ONE, directed by Nick Neon. (USA). When Jimmy Park visits home for the first time in years, he’s forced to make peace with the ghost of who he could have been.
PONYBOI, directed by River Gallo, Sadé Clacken Joseph. (Canada). On Valentine’s Day, Ponyboi, an intersex sex worker, looks for love and a way out of his seedy life in New Jersey.
LAVENDER, directed by Matthew Puccini. (USA). A young gay man grows increasingly entangled in an older couple’s marriage.
HOW I GOT TO THE MOON BY SUBWAY, directed by Tyler Rabinowitz. (USA). After being diagnosed with ALS, a curmudgeonly older man goes to the hospital with his partner to record his voice bank before he loses the ability to speak.
LAND’S END, directed by Ben Strebel. (UK). Road trip and love story combine as Adam’s addiction to an older man leads him down a path that he might not be ready for.
DADDY LESSONS
DADDY LESSONS – Hookups never go as expected, especially when expectations run high.
INFINITE WHILE IT LASTS (INFINITO ENQUANTO DURE), directed by Akira Kamiki. (Brazil). An asexual man and a gay man fall in love but must overcome their differences to make their relationship work.
MY LONELINESS IS KILLING ME, directed by Tim Courtney. (UK). When Elliott lures the animalistic Jack to his apartment for a late-night hookup, they unexpectedly unearth a dark emotional connection.
THRIVE, directed by Jamie Dispirito. (UK). A hookup between two young men turns into an essential heart-to-heart.
DADDY, directed by Christian Coppola. (USA). After the death of his wife, an 80-year-old man checks into the Plaza Hotel to celebrate their first anniversary apart, hiring a male escort to take her place.
POSITIONS, directed by: Justin Ducharme. (Canada). A day in the life of a two-spirit male sex worker as he visits his clients, Positions is an exploration of sexual desire, the quest for financial stability, and the pursuit of agency over one’s own body.
GIVE IT UP OR LET ME GO
GIVE IT UP OR LET ME GO – Secrets, playful lies, and deception are the glue that holds this program together.
PARKING, directed by Ahmad Seyfipour. (Iran). A thief encounters two men having sex in the back seat of a car in a parking garage, and a tense standoff ensues.
THREE MONTHS (TROIS MOIS), directed by Sasha Alcoloumbre. (Canada). A romance is shaken when a young man belatedly reveals his HIV status to his lover.
BATTY BOY, directed by Blain Ho-shing, Dior Clarke. (UK). Dolcie Woods, a young black boy raised in a deprived area of North London, faces the struggles of fitting into a community ingrained with strong cultural and homophobic beliefs.
BABY, directed by Jessie Levandov. (USA). Baby is a coming-of-age queer love story of a young man roving the Bronx on a Saturday afternoon.
TOGETHER (SPOLU), directed by David Benedek. (Slovakia). Roommates Micah, Simon and Robo are following their personal pathways, but when the road becomes rocky their bond proves to be more than just simple friendship.
BREAK ME (KNUS MEG), directed by Irasj Asanti. (Norway). Mansour’s love for his best friend Andreas is put to the test when Mansour’s religious father decides to take him to their home country to get married.
BOUNDARIES, directed by Rhys Jones. (USA). Jared takes extreme measures in order to get attention from his ex-boyfriend.
I CAN LOVE YOU BETTER
I CAN LOVE YOU BETTER – Love can be a real if we don’t laugh, we’ll cry situation. Through unrequited crushes, home renovations, and the wobbly first steps of queer love, these shorts allow us to lean into laughter.
EVERYTHING’S GREAT!, directed by Linnea Ritland. (Canada). Everything’s Great! follows an awkward, hapless lesbian as she bounces between a messy non- relationship and her alcoholic-dad-soaked home life.
THE HALF WALL (VEGGEN), directed by Ida Eldøen. (Norway). Norwegian with English subtitles. When the topic of home renovation comes up, a gay couple find themselves in a heated and deeply serious discussion over a bathroom wall.
THE GAYBYSITTERS CLUB, directed by Savannah Dooley. (USA). When Kristy finds out her best friend Mary Anne might be dating a BOY, she calls a Babysitters Club emergency meeting.
IF THIS IS WRONG, directed by Chelsea Woods. (USA). When Maria is forced outside her digital comfort zone, she finds real-world connection in an unexpected place
LADY LIBERTY, directed by Taylor Nagel. (USA). After aspiring comic Shea is dumped by her first love, she begins to explore her queer identity and confides in a stranger, Quinn, a very cool and confident gay woman.
MISDIRECTION, directed by Carly Usdin. (USA). Camila is your average college freshman with a big, gay crush on her roommate. A chance encounter with a street magician teaches Camila to channel her energy into a new hobby.
NOT READY TO MAKE NICE
NOT READY TO MAKE NICE – No two families are the same, and if anything can prove this it would be this collection of shorts. Join us for the drama, laughter and embarrassment – again and again.
MILLER & SON, directed by Asher Jelinsky. (USA). A mechanic spends her days running her family’s auto shop and her nights being true to herself, until an unforeseen event threatens the balance of her compartmentalized life.
OUTDOORING, directed by Maxwell Addae. (USA). A young man arrives at his sister’s baby-naming ceremony with a plan to steal the proceeds so he can run away and keep a personal secret hidden.
A FAMILY AFFAIR, directed by Florence Keith-Roach. (UK). When Annabelle wakes up in a stranger’s bedroom on her 30th birthday, she thinks the day cannot get any worse. But then Bernard walks in.
99, directed by Nick Borenstein. (USA). A mother and son shop for a Bar Mitzvah gift at a 99 Cent store.
BUBBLE, directed by Alyssa Lerner. (USA). During the 2008 financial crisis Filipina teenager, Frances, is determined to avoid two unstoppable forces: her family’s home foreclosure and a creeping realization that she’s gay. Winner of 2018 Inside Out’s Pitch Please competition.
THE CONFIRMATION (KONFIRMATIONEN), directed by Marie Louise Damgaard. (Denmark). Mathias just wants to be a normal teenager, but on the day of his confirmation his overprotective mother threatens his plan to fly under the radar.
READY TO RUN
READY TO RUN – The right choice isn’t always the best choice. This program showcases split-second decisions and messy meetings.
DANTE VS. MOHAMMED ALI, directed by Marc Wagenaar. (Netherlands). When Wolf is forced to fight against his best friend Alexander during a weekly boxing match, Wolf refuses and tries to convince his friend to run away together.
INVOLUNTARY ACTIVIST, directed by Mikael Bundsen. (UK/ Sweden). A teacher is forced to choose between betraying his family or his values when his older sister asks him to step back into the closet for a single night. This is the 10th short film produced by a winner of the Iris Prize.
DARIO, directed by Jorge A. Trujillo Gil, Manuel Kinzer. (Germany). Darío loves to dance but his disapproving mother makes it hard for him to be himself.
LISBOA-SANTARÉM, directed by Frederico Nobre de Carvalho. (Portugal/ UK). Lisboa-Santarém tells the story of two young men whose journey across the south of Portugal will forever shape the way they approach new encounters.
BROKEN SUNFLOWER HEARTS, directed by Miguel Angel Caballero. (USA). When his ex-boyfriend Sam shows up on his doorstep, Anthony weighs the impact this will have on his life and on young daughter Luna.
REAL AND SPECTACULAR
REAL AND SPECTACULAR – From trans trailblazers to intersex activists to gay porn stars to a pair of elderly lesbian entertainers, this program highlights a few of the very real and very spectacular members of our communities.
A NORMAL GIRL, directed by Aubree Bernier-Clarke. (USA). A Normal Girl brings to light the widely unknown struggles of intersex people, through the story of intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis.
RICK, directed by Jan-Peter Horstmann. (Germany). Rick is gay and deaf and a porn star.
HOW TO MAKE A RAINBOW, directed by Ryan Maxey. (USA). How to Make a Rainbow observes a young girl and her mother over two years as they journey through the realities of a parent in transition.
LEE & WANDA, directed by Rob Eagle. (UK). This touching portrait of two lesbian entertainers, together for almost 60 years, looks back at a lifetime of performing.
FRAMING AGNES, directed by Chase Joynt. (USA). In the late 1950s, a woman named Agnes approached the UCLA Medical Center seeking sex reassignment surgery. Her story was long considered to be singular until never-before-seen case files were found in 2017.
BATTLE CRY, directed by Kyle Reaume. (Canada). At the longest-running queer theatre in the world, Toronto’s most cerebral drag queen, Pearle Harbour, prepares to take the stage for her new show, Battle Cry.
THERE’S YOUR TROUBLE
THERE’S YOUR TROUBLE – Not for the faint of heart, this collection of shorts is queer–as in weird–and showcases the very best in LGBTQ horror, sci-fi, and things that are just plain strange.
STIGMA (ESTIGMA), directed by David Velduque. (Spain). It’s Friday night, the doorbell rings, and Alex welcomes in his worst nightmare.
I WAIT FOR THE NIGHT, directed by Arthur Chaumay. (France). A discussion between two boys on the shores of an abandoned lake will force one of them to face his inner demons.
CONVERSION THERAPIST, directed by Bears Rebecca Fonte. (USA). A pansexual, polyamorous trio kidnaps a ‘pray-the-gay-away’ evangelical conversion therapist, hoping to help him see the light.
BATHROOM TROLL, directed by Aaron Immediato. (USA). After Cassie is tormented in the women’s washroom at school, a demonic vengeance troll awakens to avenge her.
FLOTANDO, directed by Frankie De Leonardis. (Spain). A Russian astronaut comes to on an ISS space module after an accident and…wait a minute…is that someone knocking on the door?
JEREMIAH, directed by Kenya Gillespie. (USA). A high school football player is forced to confront his deepest fears after a strange encounter with a mysterious figure.
SWITCH, directed by Marion Renard. (Belgium). During her first sexual experience, a teenage girl discovers she possesses a disturbing skill.
THRIVE
THRIVE – Dating, parenting and spirituality. This year, Thrive takes a closer look at these topics, featuring trans stories that go beyond our gender markers, and asking bigger questions about the human condition.
WILL I SAY SO, directed by Jamie DiNicola. (USA). Two men are on a first date and each has a secret. Can they find the courage to speak the truth and accept one another?
THE BONY LADY (LA FLACA), directed by Thiago Zanato. (Brazil/ Mexico/ USA). A Mexican transgender woman and leader of the Santa Muerte Cult in Queens prepares for her yearly celebration of the Bony Lady.
TELL BY DATE, directed by Sarah Ball. (USA/ UK). Ryan has something important to tell his seven-year-old son but comes up with every excuse to avoid it. He needs a “tell-by date.”
RANI, directed by Hammad Rizvi. (Pakistan/ USA). A poor, socially outcast Pakistani transgender woman sets out to take care of an abandoned baby.
AUTUMN, directed by Rollyn Stafford. (USA). A transgender woman tries to make it to the Miss Oregon audition but first has one quick stop to beat up some thugs.
WAKING HOUR, directed by Nava Mau. (USA). A trans woman is pursued by a potential lover at a party and must balance concerns about her safety and her desire for intimacy.
I (ÉG), directed by Halla Tryggvadottir. (Iceland/ Lithuania). A young trans person living in a small town travels to the city searching for freedom.
TOP OF THE WORLD
TOP OF THE WORLD – Young in age but beyond their years, the subjects of these films are taking on everything from first crushes to state legislation.
MACK WRESTLES, directed by Erin Sanger. (USA). Mack Beggs broke records and changed history when he won the Texas State title as a transgender wrestler.
LADIES DAY, directed by Abena Taylor-Smith. (UK). Amma spends the day in an Afro-Caribbean salon having her hair braided. The shop is full of fun, gossip and laughter, but how will she deal with the casual homophobia?
SEQUINS, directed by Michael Beddoes. (UK). Paul Bigsby’s life is turned upside down when he enlists the help of a jaded Blackpool drag queen in order to realize his dream.
THE ONE YOU NEVER FORGET, directed by Morgan Fox. (USA). A 14-year-old boy excitedly prepares for his first dance, but when his date arrives he’s faced with a split-second decision.
LISTEN, directed by Jake Graf. (UK). Featuring young trans actors in trans roles, Listen frankly depicts some of the myriad struggles experienced daily by trans children and teenagers.
ANEMONE, directed by Amrou Al-Kadhi. (UK). A second-generation teen searches for a way to express their non-binary identity.
MAYBE, directed by Kathryn Cole. (USA). After an unexpected encounter in Waikiki, a young girl explores her sexuality in secret, causing new rifts between her and her religious Filipino family.
WIDE OPEN SPACES
WIDE OPEN SPACES – Wide open spaces make room for some big mistakes. Who doesn’t know what I’m talking about?
THE CONRADS, directed by Teryl Brouillette. (UK). Joss Conrad learns that her IVF treatments were successful when her wife is out of town. The only problem is, Joss is not sure this is what she really wants.
TONIGHT (HALAYLA), directed by Emily Shir Segal. (Israel). Tonight, Tom will meet her younger girlfriend’s group of friends for the first time. At the end of the night, she’ll have to make a choice.
OTHER LOVING, directed by Lise Angelica Johnson. (USA). A woman experiencing heartbreak rediscovers love in an unconventional way.
MUDPOTS, directed by Cate Smierciak. (USA). In a stolen moment at Shelby’s surprise going away party, she and her best friend, Jess, will finally acknowledge something more between them.
LADIES DAY, directed by Abena Taylor-Smith. (UK). Amma spends the day in an Afro-Caribbean salon having her hair braided. The shop is full of fun, gossip and laughter, but how will she deal with the casual homophobia?
THIS PERFECT DAY, directed by Lydia Rui. (Australia). Julia, a wayward youth, walks into a music store. This could be the day that changes their life.
THERE YOU ARE, directed by Lisa Donato. (USA). A trans woman must dress like a man to say goodbye to her dying grandmother.
LONG DISTANCE, directed by Anoop Lokkur. (Australia). A young Indian woman living in Australia gets a call from her mum back home.
YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE
YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE – This collection of shorts is all about looking for love wherever you can find it…at your kid’s school, in your school, online, during a tarot card reading, or at your ex’s house.
LOVE ON THE CARDS, directed by Nathan Hannawin. (UK). Frustrated by her failing love life, Tess turns to a tarot card reading for clarity.
THE NIGHT BEFORE, directed by Mragendra Singh. (USA). On the night before her wedding, Shae pays a visit to her ex, Nikki, a woman she ghosted years ago.
THE DATE, directed by Emmalie El Fadli. (UK). Lizzy and Olivia might be total opposites but they do have one thing in common: they both swiped ‘right’ on each other.
U FOR USHA (U USHACHA), directed by Rohan Kanawade. (India). Usha, a single mother and farm labourer in rural India, finds herself drawn to a female teacher who works at a local primary school.
BREASTFRIENDS, directed by Eleanor Rogers. (Ireland). A driven young female relay runner begins to question her sexuality when a new member joins the team.
XIAO XIAN, directed by Jiajie Yu Yan. (Spain). Xiao Xian’s mother has put her in charge of finishing a dress and her daughter obeys, as usual. But when the girl’s best friend shows up looking to party, Xiao Xian can’t say no.